The Best Yarn for Amigurumi
So, you’ve diving headfirst into the world of amigurumi and you need to know which yarn to use? You’ve come to the right place! After years of designing and making amigurumi, I’ve developed some pretty strong opinions about which yarns work best (and…worst). That being said, there is no “wrong” yarn. But when it comes to amigurumi, some yarns definitely have qualities that will give you a better result.
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I first fell in love with amigurumi (a Japanese word meaning a crochet or knit stuffed toy) over a decade ago. I still remember the day – I was in the yarn aisle at Michael’s and saw the book Amigurumi World, by Ana Paula Rimoli. Her little animals were so colorful and cute, I was instantly smitten. But other than knowing basic crochet stitches, I was clueless when it came to choosing yarn for these tiny toys. And no wonder! The sheer number of yarn choices can be overwhelming. So let’s break it down a bit (and if you want to read about my favorite brands right away, click here).
Important Considerations when Choosing Yarn
Before you decide the best yarn for your amigurumi project, there are many questions to consider. Amigurumi looks best with stitches that have great definition, so which yarns give good stitch definition? Toys are often loved, snuggled, and dragged around, so which yarns are the most durable and washable? What about texture, softness, and stretch? We usually want toys to be very soft, but they also need to be strong and hold their shape. Amigurumi is stuffed, and it won’t do to have it floppy or stretched out. Last (but oh my goodness, not least), what colors are available? If a yarn doesn’t have a wide color selection, I won’t even bother with it!
Let’s look at different types of yarn and how they meet (or don’t meet) these important needs.
Pros and Cons of Yarn Fibers for Amigurumi
When choosing the best yarn for amigurumi, it helps to first decide which yarn fiber will give you the result you want. Yarn fiber is the material the yarn is made of. Some are made from natural animal or plant fibers, and some are synthetic or man-made.
Acrylic
PROS – Acrylic yarn is a synthetic fiber. It is inexpensive and easy to find, both in person and online. It comes in a wide variety of colors for all those cute amigurumi details. Acrylic yarn is washable and relatively durable, but its longevity varies widely by brand.
CONS – Acrylics are known for pilling over time, which isn’t ideal for toys that are heavily used and washed often. This fiber may also stretch out a bit and give your toys a lumpy look after a while. Also, in comparison to other fibers like cotton, acrylic yarns do not have as much stitch definition.
Cotton
PROS – High quality cotton yarn is soft, sturdy, durable, and gives fantastic stitch definition. It is more expensive than acrylic, but still relatively affordable. Cotton yarn is washable, and does not pill over time. Many cotton brands offer great color selection, which is very important when crocheting amigurumi.
CONS – Lower quality cotton yarn can be rough and scratchy. Cotton doesn’t have much, if any, stretch, so it can be an adjustment for your hands and tension if you’re used to working with other fibers. Some of the widest color palettes come from brands with limited in-store selections, and often have to be ordered online (which, these days, is probably only a con if you need something right away). Lastly, some brands of cotton have a tendency to split, which can be quite annoying while crocheting.
Wool
PROS – Wool is flexible, which some crocheters absolutely love. If you deal with joint pain in your hands or wrists, you may want to try wool. Many brands offer wool in blends with other fibers, which gives you some versatility. Color availability in this fiber does depend on the brand, but wool often has absolutely beautiful color options, as well as marled or heathered color options.
CONS – Wool can be itchy to work with, and some brands of wool pill quite a bit over time. Wool yarn is also usually more expensive than cotton or acrylic yarn. If you prefer shopping for yarn in person, you’ll have a hard time finding a wide selection in a big box store. And if you go to a local yarn shop, you’ll have a hard time finding skeins of wool yarn packaged with amigurumi in mind. If this is your fiber of choice, online shopping is your best bet.
Chenille
PROS – I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention chenille yarn, given how popular it has become these days! Chenille, or blanket, yarn can be used to make larger, fluffy looking amigurumi. Because of it’s surge in popularity, it’s readily available in big box craft stores and comes in a decent variety of colors. It’s super soft and with the right pattern, gives an adorable result.
CONS – Chenille yarn is bulky and can be difficult to work with as it’s hard to see your stitches. It sheds and breaks fairly easily, and may come in such large skeins that you have a lot left over. It doesn’t work for all amigurumi patterns – you must follow a pattern specifically designed for chenille yarn. If you’d like to read more about my tips for dealing with the “cons” of chenille yarn, check out this blog post.
Which Brands Have the Best Yarn for Amigurumi?
With all of that information, you may have an idea of which type of yarn you’d like for your next amigurumi project. Let’s look at my very favorite yarns (and a few I do not love…) for each type of fiber so you can get shopping and get started!
Acrylic
When I started making amigurumi, I only used acrylic yarn because it was inexpensive, easy to find in person, and available in lots of colors. These days, I don’t use it as much, but when I do these are my favorite brands:
Paintbox Simply Aran or DK
Paintbox offers the absolute best in color selection, and their Simply acrylic yarn is available in both aran (light worsted) and DK weights. It’s a soft, quality acrylic option.
I Love This Yarn
Hobby Lobby offers an acrylic yarn called I Love This Yarn that has such great color options, it takes up almost an entire yarn aisle! I love the marled options and recently used this yarn when designing this whale. The price is great and the yarn is soft.
Knit picks Brava
The Brava line offered by Knit Picks comes in multiple yarn weights and beautiful colors. It’s a great acrylic option too.
As versatile as the above acrylic yarns are, there are many I just plain do not like. In general, the cheaper the acrylic, the less I like it (think Red Heart Super Saver). This is one of those areas in life where I believe you get what you pay for.
Cotton
It’s probably time to tell you, I am a loyal fan of cotton yarn and choose it almost exclusively for my amigurumi designs. For me, it’s the best yarn for amigurumi. I love the stitch definition, the texture, and the softness. Here are a few of my favorites:
Paintbox Cotton Aran or DK
Once again, Paintbox delivers an exceptional yarn in its Cotton Aran or DK line. The cotton is super soft but still sturdy and holds its shape, doesn’t split, and comes in a variety of bright, fun colors. It is my #1 go-to yarn when I plan a new design.
Rico Creative Cotton or Ricorumi
Rico has the amigurumi yarn game down, even designing little skeins called Ricorumi in a DK weight that are perfect for small amigurumi projects. I love this yarn, but it can be difficult to find as it’s made overseas and not in as many retailers as I would like, so it’s not always my first choice. However, it’s my favorite cotton for finding a variety of skin tone yarn colors.
I Love This Cotton
Hobby Lobby is back on our list with this cotton yarn. When I need a soft cotton at a local store, this is the yarn I get. It’s incredibly smooth, a little shiny, and comes in many colors. One word of caution with this yarn – keep your tension on the tighter side, because it can have a bit less structure than other cottons.
Scheepjes Stone Washed
This yarn may be new to you, but if you like yarns that blend 2 or more colors to give a heathered look, you will love it! Scheepjes Stone Washed is a cotton blended with a little acrylic and is available in sport and light worsted weights. I love using it for teeny projects, like this crochet rainbow. You can find full skeins here, or check out this adorable mini pack!
If you’re a fan of Knit Picks yarn, you may be wondering why I didn’t include any of their cottons on my list. While I love the quality of Knit Picks yarn, I don’t love their cottons for amigurumi. Their Dishie line is too twisted and rough for my taste (but is perfect for dishcloths), and their Comfy line is too soft and loose for the structure amigurumi needs (but is my favorite cotton yarn for baby blankets because of its perfect drape).
Now, the one cotton I will never use – Lily’s Sugar and Cream. Ouch! It’s way too rough and has no give. It’s definitely my least favorite cotton yarn out there.
Wool
I don’t actually have any personal experience making amigurumi with wool yarn, but my friend Elise from Elise Rose Crochet made the switch from cotton to wool for her amigurumi due to a persistent injury (you can read about her experience here) and highly recommends it. Since I’m no wool expert, I’ll share a couple of yarns that have given her work a rich, adorable result.
Berroco Vintage
This wool blend comes in stunning colors and has many 5 star reviews. It looks like a great choice!
Paintbox Wool Mix Aran
I may be a broken record recommending Paintbox, but again it offers a great option, this time in a wool blend.
And there you have it! I hope you learned a lot about your yarn options for amigurumi and found some great brands to try. Let me know in the comments what your favorite yarn is!
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